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Introduction
Lameness issues impact every dairy herd in one form or another. Not only does lameness affect a cow’s health and well-being, but it’s also costly to the farm’s bottom line.
Lameness cases in the dairy herd impact reproduction, milk production, herd health and longevity. A 2018 study summarized several studies estimating the cost of lameness and found it to be between $76 and $533 per case.
Research published in the April 2023 Journal of Dairy Science said that for each additional week a cow remained lame, it cost the farmer $13.26 more per week due to factors such as reduced milk production, treatment costs and potential reproductive issues.
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Author
Aerica Bjurstrom
Regional Dairy Educator – Aerica’s work focuses on herd health and animal welfare. She also has a strong background in meat quality and has done programming in market cow carcass quality.
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